2007 Toyota Camry XLE Test Drive
QUICK SPECS:
• PRICE AS TESTED: $31,039
• ENGINE: 3.5L V-6 DOHC 24V
• HORSEPOWER: 268 hp @ 6,200 rpm / 248 lb-ft at 4,700 rpm
• DRIVETRAIN: Front-wheel drive, six speed automatic
• WEIGHT: 3,516 lbs.
• FUEL ECONOMY: 22/31 mpg
By Dave Chess
It didn’t take Toyota long to rev things up. In its third year of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition Toyota, with its Tundra pickup truck, won both driver (Todd Bodine) and manufacturer’s championships.
That was 2006.
This year look out!
Things are really going to change. Toyota speeds into the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series with its Camry sedan and a stable of well-known NASCAR good old boys. Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip, Bill Davis Racing and Red Bull Racing will field a total of seven Toyota Camrys in NASCAR’s top division.
What is there about a Toyota Camry that makes it the number one selling car in the United States and has brought the brand to NASCAR?
There is a perception that Toyota produces cars that are higher quality and provide more value for the dollar than other brands.
And after spending a week with a 2007 Toyota Camry XLE, I can tell you it had enough features to be comparable to a $40,000 Cadillac CTS. Sure the Camry only had one setting for the heated seats instead of Cadillac’s high and low. And so what if the mirrors didn’t tilt down when the car was put in reverse. At $31,000 the price is $9000 less than a similar equipped Cadillac CTS.
The Camry’s rear seats recline for goodness sake!
It has an optional $1,200 navigation system, which is half the price of its competitors!
It responds to a predefined series of voice commands. Press a button and it will ask the address you want to be guided to, the city and so forth. It can handle a Bluetooth telephone and has a calendar with memo reminders.
But do I really need a keyless push button start for $450?
No, but it was a nice convenience to be able to walk up to the trunk with two bags of groceries and not have to balance one on my knee while I searched for a key to insert, or key-fob button to push. As soon as I touched the trunk lid it sensed I had the smart key in my pocket and opened…. Sweet! The key only needs to be in your pocket and you can unlock the doors or start the car with the touch of your hand.
The one fault I found with the Camry was the fit of the dash. There was a very noticeable overlap where two pieces of the front panel came together near the climate controls. Other than that I found the fit and finish perfect.
It’s the little things that provide value, like variable-size cup holders that will hug a small cup of coffee just as well as they do a larger water bottle. Or a steering wheel loaded with audio and climate controls.
My tester came with a 3.5-liter, 268 horsepower V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Four wheel disc brakes with anti-lock braking held 16 inch alloy wheels.
The front-wheel drive Camry accelerated adequately and handled precisely in and out of traffic. Toyota doesn’t make a high performance version. But with its entry into NASCAR I expect a high performance Camry to be available someday.
The list of standard equipment in this top-of-the-line Camry goes on forever and includes safety features like driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags, front and rear side curtain airbags, driver’s knee airbag and a direct tire pressure monitoring system.
The exterior features fog lamps and heated outside mirrors.
Inside the Camry is where driver and passenger comfort really shine with a JBL brand stereo, power sunroof, reclining rear seats, manual retractable rear sunshade, power leather seats, dual zone climate control, pollen filter, and a Plasmacluster air cleaner.
Yes that’s right! A Plasmacluster ionizer! This baby improves the air quality by emitting positive and negative ions into the cabin.
If you feel the need to crank up the stereo, an auxiliary audio input jack found hidden in the center storage compartment will allow you to listen to your own play lists.
If you feel the need for a well-equipped four door sedan, the Toyota Camry XLE will satisfy that need.
NASCAR Toyota Camry driver lineup:
Michael Waltrip will be joined by 1999 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Dale Jarrett and Craftsman Truck driver David Reutimann. Waltrip will drive the No. 55 Napa car. Jarrett brings his UPS sponsorship from Ford and Reutimann will drive the No. 00 Domino/Burger King Toyota Camry.
Veteran NASCAR drivers Dave Blaney, Mike Skinner and Jeremy Mayfield will drive Camrys for Bill Davis Racing. Red Bull will field Toyotas for NASCAR driver Brian Vickers and open wheel racing’s A.J. Allmendinger, who finished third in the 2006 Champ Car World Series.